Mechanical Contracting and Fabrication News

Vice President to Retire After 45 Years with Egan

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., Nov. 29, 2010 - On a Monday in January 1965, after hearing about a job opening, 18-year-old Casey Schellenboom visited Andy J. Egan Co. and talked to then owner Earl Jasper. Within hours, he was on his first delivery.

This December, 45 years later, he will retire from the company where he started as a delivery employee.

Schellenboom, vice president of local mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co., has helped shape downtown Grand Rapids and beyond since his first project as a plumbing apprentice working on Grand Rapids Public School's new Union High School in 1968.

After working in the shop making deliveries, he reached his goal of becoming a plumbing apprentice making $64 a week. He worked his way up to a journeyman then on to project manager and, finally, vice president. In his current role, the recent local landmarks he has worked on include:

  • Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
  • Van Andel Institute
  • JW Marriott Hotel
  • Metro Health Hospital
  • DeVos Place Convention Center

"When you stop and think about the growth that's happened in Grand Rapids and West Michigan over the last 45 years, Casey has had the privilege to be involved in so much of that history. It's an honor to have worked with such a dedicated, hardworking and honest coworker," said Tom Jasper, owner of Andy J. Egan Co.

When Schellenboom started at Egan, there were 35 employees. Today, there are 230.

"The company has steadily grown since I started because we continue to change with the times," Schellenboom said.

Schellenboom, who grew up in Grandville, is a member and former board member of the American Subcontractors Association of Michigan. He is also a member of Grand Rapids Building Codes Board of Appeals and the West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association. He volunteers with Grand Rapids Public School's Academy of Design and Construction, a local food pantry and within his church.

For more information, contact Jorri Smith at 616.791.9952 or at smithj@andyegan.com.

Founded in 1919, mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co. offers plumbing, piping, HVAC, design-build, building information modeling, fabrication, mechanical insulation, process piping, controls and 24/7 service for commercial, industrial and institutional applications.